Defense Manufacturing Communities Support Program | OLDCC 23 F 0002

Opportunity Information: Apply for OLDCC 23 F 0002

The Defense Manufacturing Communities Support Program is a Department of Defense grant opportunity run by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation that focuses on strengthening the national security innovation and manufacturing base through sustained, place-based investment. Authorized under Section 846 of the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (PL 115-232), the program is meant to help regions that have a concentrated defense manufacturing footprint make long-term, coordinated improvements in the things that keep defense production competitive and resilient. In practical terms, it is about building a stronger pipeline of skilled workers, modernizing or expanding shared facilities and infrastructure, supporting applied research and development that can translate into production capability, and improving the ability of small businesses to participate in defense supply chains.

A key feature of the program is that it is not aimed at a single company or a standalone project operating in isolation. Instead, applicants must organize and present a regional manufacturing consortium that is already functioning as a connected ecosystem, with established relationships and active channels for business transactions, communication, workforce development, and shared services. The consortium is expected to be focused on a common defense manufacturing challenge or a defense-related technology area, and it should represent organizations that are similar, synergistic, or complementary within a specific manufacturing sector or vertical. While the consortium is generally expected to be geographically concentrated in a defined region, the program allows inclusion of partners outside the region when they bring significant capabilities that directly strengthen the consortium and complement its objectives.

Applications must be submitted by a designated "Lead Organization" on behalf of the broader consortium. The lead can be one of several entity types laid out in the official funding notice (the NOFO), and the eligible applicant categories listed for this opportunity include state, county, and city or township governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; nonprofits (including both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3) organizations); and other eligible entities. This structure signals that the DoD is looking for a coordinating backbone organization that can convene partners, manage the grant, and align investments across multiple stakeholders rather than funding fragmented efforts.

The program also emphasizes alignment with existing Defense Manufacturing Institutes, which are part of the broader national manufacturing innovation ecosystem created since 2014 around specific technology domains and shared manufacturing challenges. The intent is that communities designated and supported through this program should be complementary to those institutes, not duplicative, and should help translate technology and innovation into scalable manufacturing capacity and a stronger supplier base. The notice points applicants to the DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes list and the broader Manufacturing USA roster for context, suggesting that proposals should be aware of and connected to those national assets where relevant.

From the posted opportunity data, this is a grant (Funding Instrument Type: Grant) under CFDA/Assistance Listing 12.600, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000. The opportunity number is OLDCC 23 F 0002, and it was originally posted on 2023-04-24 with an original closing date of 2023-06-26. While the summary information highlights the purpose and the applicant structure, the full eligibility rules, required components, and submission details are contained in the attached final Federal Funding Opportunity notice (NOFO), which applicants are expected to follow closely when defining the consortium, documenting capabilities, and laying out the long-term investment strategy.

• The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Defense Manufacturing Communities Support Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.600.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-06-26. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for OLDCC 23 F 0002

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